Canaanite

English

Etymology

From Canaan +‎ -ite.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkeɪnənaɪt/

Proper noun

Canaanite

1. A subfamily of the Semitic languages, which were spoken by the ancient peoples of the Canaan region, including Canaanites, Israelites and Phoenicians.

Derived terms

• Proto-Canaanite

Translations

a subfamily of the Semitic languages spoken by the ancient peoples of the Canaan region, including Canaanites, Israelites and Phoenicians

Hungarian: kánaáni (hu)

Noun

Canaanite (plural Canaanites)

1. A member of the ancient Semitic people who occupied Canaan before its conquest by Israelites.
   • 2022 November 9, Ian Sample, “Oldest known sentence written in first alphabet discovered – on a head-lice comb”, in The Guardian‎:

     It’s a simple sentence that captures the hopes and fears of modern-day parents as much as the bronze age Canaanite who owned the doubled-edged ivory comb on which the words appear.

2. (by extension) A zealot or fanatic.
3. A member of the Canaanism movement.

Translations

member of ancient Semitic people

Arabic: كَنْعَانِيّ (kanʕāniyy) Armenian: քանանացի (kʻananacʻi) Dutch: Kanaäniet (nl) m French: Cananéen (fr) m, Cananéenne f German: Kanaanäer (de) m, Kanaanäerin f, Kananäer m, Kananäerin f, Kanaanit m, Kanaanitin f, Kanaaniter m, Kanaaniterin f, Kananiter m, Kananiterin f Greek: Ancient Greek: Χαναναῖος m (Khananaîos) Hebrew: כנעני (k'na'aní) Hungarian: kánaánita (hu) Italian: cananeo (it) Maore Comorian: mtru wa Kanani class 1/2 Old Armenian: քանանացի (kʻananacʻi) Persian: کنعانی (fa) (kan'âni) Portuguese: cananeu (pt) m, cananeia (pt) f, canaanita (pt) m or f Russian: хананей m (xananej) Spanish: cananeo (es) m

Adjective

Canaanite (comparative more Canaanite, superlative most Canaanite)

1. Of or pertaining to the people or language of Canaan.
   • 2022 November 9, Ian Sample, “Oldest known sentence written in first alphabet discovered – on a head-lice comb”, in The Guardian‎:

     Unearthed in Lachish, a Canaanite city state in the second millennium BCE and the second most important city in the kingdom of Judah, the comb suggests that humans have endured lice for thousands of years and that even the wealthiest were not spared the grim infestations.

2. Of or pertaining to this sect or its followers; Canaanitic.
3. (by extension) zealous or fanatical.

Translations

of or pertaining to this sect or its followers

Dutch: Kanaänitisch French: cananéen (fr) m, chananéen (fr) m German: kanaanäisch (de), kananäisch, kanaanitisch, kananitisch Greek: Ancient Greek: Χαναναῖος (Khananaîos) Hebrew: כנעני (k'na'aní) Hungarian: kánaánita (hu)

References

• John A. Simpson and Edmund S. C. Weiner, editors (1989), “Canaanite”, in The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd edition, Oxford: Clarendon Press, →ISBN.